Behind the Answer
by jade30
Summary: A prequel of sorts to The Question. What will it take to get Ranma & Akane together and what path led them there?
1. Truth: The First Step

The song, "To Face the Truth" is the Pet Shop Boys.  Characters from Ranma 1/2 are Rumiko Takahashi's.

Well, this is it.  A prequel of sorts to my earlier fanfic, "The Question."  I know it's long (I tend to get pretty long winded), but I hope you read it anyway.  It's my second fanfic ever, so let me know what you think and please be gentle!

**To Face the Truth**

That's it, Akane thought angrily.  It's over.  I'll go crazy if I have to keep doing this!  She sank down onto her bed.  Who am I kidding?  I'm already crazy…I've just stepped one foot further off the edge.  

_You know it hurts me when you lie  
Sometimes it even makes me cry  
'Cause I'm so in love with you_

Ever since the return of the vacationing suitors and their intrusive parents, their budding relationship downshifted from hopeful to pathetic.  Ranma, still convinced that hiding his feelings would buy them a little more time, denied any inklings of a possible love affair left and right.

"As if I WANTED to spend time with that tomboy!" he snorted to Ukyo.  "Everyone else was gone…it was SO boring, what else was I supposed to do?"

"Take care of that uncute thing?" he declared to the his parents and Mr. Tendo.  "She as tough as a bull with hemorrhoids and twice as ugly.  She's a terrible cook and her temper is fifty times worse!"  

"Train that untalented, violent girl?" he broadcasted to the Amazon faction.  "She couldn't fight her way out of a paper bag with holes cut in it!"

_If you don't believe what I have said  
Take a look, my eyes are red  
'Cause I'm so in love with you_

With every cutting remark, it grew harder for Akane to find words to fight back with.  Lately it hurt too much to even mallet him and she opted instead for running away, sometimes just barely fighting back the tears that stung her eyes.  She couldn't even bring herself to get mad at him!  Not when every fiber of her heart kept fighting to remember how it was before everyone returned.

_But all those sleepless nights in bed  
When you've been out somewhere instead  
I wonder if you care and cannot bear the proof  
It hurts too much to face the truth  
To face the truth_

Every night Akane waited for Ranma to tap on her window to be let into her room.  If only I could just talk to him!  If we could just laugh and joke about what a great actor he's become, if I could just touch him gently instead of slapping his face, if I could just look past the shutter he's pulled over his eyes.  She sighed.  If I could do those things, any of those things, the world would be all right again.  Every night she sat up waiting, not even letting P-Chan in, refusing to fall asleep lest she miss his entrance.  But he never came.

_A lawyer with a case to prove,  
Would sift the evidence, then move  
It's the only thing to do  
So why then can't I face the facts?  
Sift this evidence that backs  
I'm so in love with you_

For the first time in a long time, Ranma had no idea what Akane may be thinking.  He knew she desperately needed to talk to him, to reassure herself that what they had existed.  He knew this because he felt the same way but he also knew there was nothing he could do about it.  So many people were suspicious already…he couldn't risk it.  Not when her life was at stake.  He'd already decided.  He'd sacrifice what they had now for what they could have in the future.  It was the only thing to do.  When they were older, when he was even stronger, smarter, faster than he was now, then they'd be together, the way they wanted to be, forever.  

_But all the nights when you have said  
You must be somewhere else instead  
I wonder where you go, but daren't expose the truth  
It hurts to much to face the truth  
To face the truth  
To face the truth_

Akane tossed and turned as she greeted yet another sleepless night.  Why didn't he come?

On the roof above her Ranma rubbed his palms against his tired eyes.  He never went to her at night, instead opting to mourn on the roof above her bedroom.  It was the closest he'd allow himself to be to her.  He couldn't get close to her, not now, especially since he knew, deep down inside, that not even all the training in the world could fix what was had been broken.

_You are the only one, the only one_

"I love you, Akane," a whisper, only heard by one.

"I love you, Ranma," the unheard reply.

"So much," a chorus that fell on deaf ears.

_You know it hurts me when you lie  
Sometimes it even makes me cry  
'Cause I'm so in love with you_

Akane wished she could have done it privately.  Her pride wouldn't let her.  The need to start over, to end the pain was too strong.  

"Leaving?"  Ranma asked disbelievingly.  "Where do you think you're going?"

The room was still; the tension that engulfed it prohibited anyone from moving.

"Miss Hinako recommended it.  She believes in me…she thinks I have a really good chance."

She couldn't go on, too afraid that she would burst into tears and beg him to beg her to stay.  Underneath the table, Kasumi took her hand and continued for her sister, "Akane applied to a very prestigious cram school and got in.  The school will giver her the boost she needs to get into a really excellent university."  

"Where will you be staying, Akane?" This from Nodoka, who, while addressing Akane, glanced at her son through the corner of her eye.  

Kasumi began to answer the question but Akane stopped her by shaking her head imperceptibly.  "Nabiki found a great place for me to stay.  Since I'll be working for one of the residents, the rent is really cheap."  She forced a teasing smile onto her face.  "And don't go trying to follow me Ranma.  It's an all-girls dorm complete with hot spring so even you couldn't disguise yourself for long."  She got up and turned to leave the room.  "Please excuse me.  I need to pack now."

_If you don't believe what I have said  
Take a look, my eyes are red  
'Cause I'm so in love with you_

"So, you're really going, huh?" Ranma asked as he leaned against her doorway.

"Yup."

"And there's nothing I can do to stop you."

"Nope."

"Dammit, Akane," he charged into the room, his voice a forceful whisper.  "How can you just give up on us?  How can you just leave?"

"Do you think it's easy for me?" she hissed back, every bit as quiet, every bit as forceful.  It was easier, really.  Easier to start over in a brand new place than to see memories of them in every corner.  Easier to meet strangers than to be with people who loved him too.  Easier to try to forget and begin anew then to live in the painful construct in what could have been.

"I just need a little more time.  I can figure this thing out.  I need more time."  I need you, I need us.

"I'll stay, Ranma.  But only if we tell them now.  Tell everyone everything."

Sheer terror at the consequences of doing that made his blood run cold.  "I can't do that, Akane.  I can't risk losing you that way."

"We are losing, Ranma.  We can win if we are in it together."  Together…it's the only way I want us to be.

He shook his head again.  "Not this way, Akane.  I need more time.  Please…stay."

"I'll stay, Ranma.  I'll stay if you can do something for us."

_But all the nights you don't show up  
I know it's time I should grow up  
I ask you if you care, you stand and stare, aloof_

Everyone turned up at the house to see Akane off.  She would go to the station alone, Nabiki had gone through great pains to keep her new home a secret.  

"Well, this is it," she proclaimed, a little too loudly, drown out her father's wails, a little too brightly to drown out the sorrows in her heart.  Her eyes met Ranma's.  

Ranma held her gaze in an attempt to put all his feelings in that last look.  I can't do it, Akane.  I can't say it in front of all these people.  They'd kill you.

Akane looked back, whispered one last "I loved you" with her eyes.  

The shutters that hid their emotions came down at the same time.  Akane turned around and opened up the door of the cab.  "Goodbye," she called out the window as the cab drove away.

_It hurts too much to face the truth  
To face the truth  
To face the truth_


	2. Think: The Second Step

The song "Think" belongs to the Information Society. Ranma 1/2 characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi.

****

Think

__

Imagine if I said I sometimes need you  
--I need you to this day  
Imagine if I said I sometimes hear you call my name.

Some would say that it happened unexpectedly. Others may remark that it was only a matter of time. What matters most is that they did it: they turned the arguing and fighting into something else, something more. It was easy to do, really when all the obstacles were gone on various winter escapades. 

Being together was easy when they let it be. At first, they hung out together because they were bored. It wasn't too long before they began seeking each other out to train, to see a movie, to get ice cream, to sit, contemplating the stars.

__

Imagine if I said I still could love you.  
Imagine what you'd say.  
Imagine if I said I sometimes still could see your face.

It wasn't love at first, not for Ranma and Akane. It was admitting. Admitting that there was something there. It was wanting. Wanting that something to grow into something else. It was easy to do really, when they both dropped their guards and allowed themselves to see each other the way they wanted to be seen.

Neither one knew when it happened. When the something between them grew to affection, to needing, to love. Even when their feelings changed, each waited for the other to say something. Even though the confessions never really came, each knew how the other felt. It was obvious in the way the spoke to each other, the way some part of them was always touching, the way their eyes softened at just the right moment.

__

Think about all the things we shared.  
Think about all the times we cared.  
When all of your hopes have come and gone,  
Think about me and I'll be there

The short time they had together felt like forever. It was easy really, when you shared your darkest fears, your deepest secrets, your wishes and dreams with the one person you knew could understand it all. Nightmares weren't so bad when you knew that someone who could make them disappear with a word. Forever is easy to realize when you're doing it together.

__

There's something in the air that feels like winter  
--The kind we used to know.  
Yesterday can seem like such a long, long time ago.

Nabiki captured everything they felt in a single picture. Ranma and Akane were out wrestling in the snow. Nabiki and her camera seemed to appear out of nowhere to capture their antics on film. She took just one picture. It was freezing outside, she complained, and disappeared, eager to get back to the warmth of the house. The pair looked at each other. He had her pinned. There was snow everywhere…in their hair, on their eyelashes, up their noses. Their cheeks were stained red with cold. Somehow nothing mattered anymore. 

Akane grinned at Ranma. "How long do you think we can lay here like this?"

Ranma grinned back and nuzzled his cold forehead to hers. "How long do you want to?"

__

Who could ever count the miles between us?  
But now I know it's true.  
Imagine if I said that all my dreams were dreams of you.

She was living in a different place now. She left, hoping to escape to a new existence. But existence was futile. No matter how far away she tried to get, he was always there…one heartbeat away. She could sleep now, but it didn't matter because he filled her dreams.

__

Think about all the things we shared.  
Think about all the times we cared.  
When all of your hopes have come and gone,  
Think about me and I'll be there.  
Think about images we've drawn.  
Think about all the empty songs.  
Whenever you're sure that I won't dare,  
Think about me and I'll be gone.

He spent the entire night before she left thinking. He couldn't sleep. She had given him an ultimatum. She challenged him to tell her how he truly felt in front of parents and rivals. To stand up in front of the ones he thought mattered and confess his feelings. If he could do that, she'd stay.

He was convinced that she was bluffing. The part of him that saw her departure as a way to seek attention won out. The day she left he was silent. When she got in the cab, he hurt so much he couldn't even cry.

__

It took me a long long time to learn  
That love is a thing you have to earn  
I finally realized it's true  
I just can't make it without you

Akane added Ranma's letter to the envelope she was sending Kasumi. As she sealed the envelope, she hoped that this one would find him, that his mother would finally track him down and pass along her prayers. Did she lose her chance? Did she throw it all away? Did she lose him forever? She hadn't realized how much she needed him until he walked out of her life completely, impossible for even a Chinese Amazon to track. If she saw him again, would she be able to tell him how she really felt? Would he feel the same way? Could she go on living if he didn't?

Most of the time, Ranma didn't even know where he was. Once in a while, he'd write a quick letter to his mother, letting her know that yes, he was safe, and yes, he was alive, but just barely. It was as if, by trekking across Japan he could find something that he had lost a long time ago. What would he do if he ever got it back?

__

Think about all the things we shared.  
Think about all the times we cared.  
When all of your hopes have come and gone,  
Think about me and I'll be there.  
Think about images we've drawn.  
Think about all the empty songs.  
Whenever you're sure that I won't dare,  
Think about me and I'll be gone.


	3. A Half Step to the End

The characters from Ranma 1/2 belong to Rumiko Takahashi.  The characters from _Love Hina_ belong to Ken Akamatsu.

**Never a Day--Prologue**

Ranma surveyed his surroundings.  It didn't really matter though.  He hadn't been traveling that long and already every place he visited seemed the same.  I wonder if this is how Ryoga feels, he thought wryly.  

"Where on earth am I now?" he said, chuckling softly.  He walked a little further until he came upon a sign at the base of a large flight of steps.  

Hinata House?  The thudding of footsteps and a whoosh as somebody whizzed by him interrupted his musings.  Ranma barely had time to process someone calling out "Naru!" when a body came flying off the steps right at him.  

It really does pay to be a martial artist once in a while, he thought as he caught the human cannonball and braced himself as they tumbled backwards.  

Ranma quickly sprang to his feet.  "Are you all right, miss?" he asked the dark-haired girl before him as he helped her up.

"Yes sir," the girl replied with a bow.  "Thank you for catching me."

"Aw…it was nothing, really," he replied.  Another girl who was panting quite heavily soon joined them.

"Shinobu, are you okay?" the newcomer asked, concern evident in her voice.  "You scared me to death!"

"I'm fine, Naru," Shinobu answered, still a little out of breath herself.  "This nice gentleman caught me."

The older girl turned to Ranma with a smile.  "Thanks for saving my friend.  I'm Narusegawa Naru and this is Maehara Shinobu," she said, gesturing towards the younger girl.

Ranma smiled back.  "I'm Saotome Ranma.  It's nice to meet the both of you."

Naru frowned.  Why did that name sound so familiar?  She peeked down at her watch.  Oops, no time to think about it now.  She was already running late.  "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Saotome.  If you'll excuse me, I have to go now.  I'm late."

 "Please hold on a second, Naru.  You're meeting sempai and Akane, right?"  When Naru nodded, Shinobu continued, "I have something here for Akane.  Something she's been waiting for…" she broke off suddenly, patting her pockets.  "Oh no!" she wailed "I must have dropped it when I fell!"

Ranma had gone very still when he heard the name Akane.  No way.  It can't be.  Akane is a pretty popular name after all…isn't it?  

"Wait, here it is!" Shinobu exclaimed happily, as she handed an envelope to Naru.  "Please tell Akane that I hope it has the news she's been waiting for!"

Ranma tried to glance at the name on the envelope as subtly as possible.  The handwriting…had he seen it before?  

Naru grabbed the letter and took off.  "Bye, Shinobu!  It was nice to meet you, Mr. Saotome!" she called over her shoulder.  

Ranma was a ball of confusion.  It can't be…it can't be, he chanted over and over in his head.  But I need to know if it is…just in case.  In a blink of an eye, he took off after Naru, hurriedly trying to be inconspicuous.

His behavior did not go unnoticed.  "What was THAT all about?" Shinobu wondered to herself as the young man dashed off.


	4. Never a Day: The Last Step

The song "Never a Day" is by Wood.  The characters from Ranma 1/2 belong to Rumiko Takahashi.  The characters from _Love Hina_ belong to Ken Akamatsu.

**Never a Day**

_Don't go standin' there  
Blockin' my view,  
And spoilin' my night  
You know why we're here  
She's an old flame  
I'm tryin' to light  
And if beauty sleep  
Can really work  
She must have just woken up  
So rub your eyes  
'Cause seein' is believin'_

Ranma followed Naru to a coffee shop with a pretty patio decorated with a number of tables.  He watched as she plopped down at a table already occupied by a young couple.  He didn't need to look twice.  Even from a distance he could tell that the other girl at the table was Akane…his Akane.  She looked the same as she always did and yet different.  It didn't matter.  She could have shaved her head and gained two hundred pounds, bleached her hair and tattooed herself from head to toe, she could have altered her appearance in a thousand different ways, he would know her anywhere, could feel her presence no matter what she looked like.  Somehow, he felt lighter and heavier at the same time.  

_Never a day goes by  
Without something  
Stopping me hard in my tracks  
I could be happy  
And I'll never even know it  
Till never a day comes back_

Akane shifted in her seat.  A funny feeling came over her quite suddenly.  Not a bad funny feeling, but a good one.  It felt like, somewhere deep inside her, she found something she had lost.  She hadn't felt this way in a long time.  Not since she left Nerima.

"Are you okay, Akane?" Keitaro asked over the rims of his glasses.

Akane nodded and smiled at her friend.  "I'm fine.  I just got this weird feeling all of a sudden."

Naru raised an eyebrow.  "Oh, before I forget, I have something for you.  It looks like a letter from your sister.  Shinobu knew how much you were looking forward to it and about killed herself trying to get it to you.  Which reminds me…" her words faltered as Akane ripped the letter open, eager to read its contents.  Naru and Keitaro watched as the happiness that lit up their friend's face dimmed with disappointment.

"Still no word, huh?" Keitaro asked, putting a sympathetic arm around her shoulder.

"No.  Still no word." Akane bit her lip.  Maybe if I bite down hard enough I can stop the tears.  "I've written so many letters.  Kasumi keeps passing them on to Auntie Saotome, but…" she swallowed hard then continued, "apparently he doesn't stay in one place long enough to actually receive letters."  

"What are you going to do?" Naru whispered, her voice quiet with sadness for her friend.

 "Keep writing, I guess," Akane answered, shrugging dejectedly.  "It helps me too…in a way.  Even if he never gets to read the letters…it feels as if…even if I just get my feelings on paper, he'll hear me in a way."  She growled in frustration.  "It sounds stupid, I know."

"It's NOT stupid!" Keitaro exclaimed.  "If you believe in it, it WILL work.  Keep writing, Akane.  If your hand ever cramps up, just let me know and I'll write the letters for you!"

"Idiot," Naru laughed.  "As if anyone could read your handwriting!"

Akane looked up at Keitaro and laughed too.  He always knew how to cheer her up.  Just like Ranma did.  Which made sense, since he was always the one making her mad in the first place.  

Suddenly, Naru shot out of her chair.  "Oh no, Keitaro!  If we don't hurry, we're going to be late for that lecture.  ARGH!  Why does it feel like I'm one step behind everything today?"  She yanked Keitaro out of his chair.  

Keitaro began digging around in his backpack.  "Uh oh…uhm…Naru…I think I forgot my wallet."

"IDIOT!  I don't have time for this!"

"Sorry, sorry," he looked pleadingly over at Akane, who giggled and waved them off.  "Don't worry about it," she replied.  "I'm on my way to work anyway.  Now, SHOO!"

As Naru dragged Keitaro off, something niggled at the back of her mind.  Something had happened not too long ago that reminded her there was something she wanted to ask Akane.  Then Keitaro tripped over his shoelace and grabbed her to keep from falling and all was forgotten as she walloped him on the head.

Glancing fondly at her friends, Akane thought of how much they reminded her of another couple.  Oh well, I guess it's time to go.  She called the waiter over for the check, but he shook his head.  "Thank you miss, but your bill has already been taken care of."

"It has?"

"Yes, by the young man right over there."  He turned to gesture behind himself.  "Well what do you know?  He's gone."

_If words alone sound cheap  
When I come around  
You'll wanna be out  
I want that window seat  
If I'm going down  
I wanna see out_

Without taking his eyes off her, Ranma tried to find a table where he could continue to watch Akane and, if he was lucky, hear her voice.  Unfortunately, the shop was a busy one and, though he had an excellent view of the back of her head, he couldn't hear a word she was saying.

"May I get you anything, sir?"

Ranma frowned up at the waiter who was obstructing his view of Akane.  "No thanks, I'm fine."

The waiter grimaced.  He'd seen it all.  This guy was obviously stalking some girl while she, a paying customer, was enjoying her coffee.  Well, he'd show him.  No poor innocent flower would be ogled by a cheap pervert who was taking up valuable table space on his watch!  "I'm sorry sir.  Only paying customers may sit at a table."

Ranma frowned harder.  Who did this guy think he was?  "Get me some water then."

The waiter remained stoic.  "Water is free sir."

Ranma frowned even harder.  "Fine…some tea then," he snapped.

The waiter forced a small smile onto his face.  "What kind of tea sir?  We have 55 different flavors there's…"

Ranma reached up and grabbed the waiter's shirt.  "I don't care what flavor.  I don't care what you get me.  Just get me something that will get you out of my face," he snarled, releasing the man.  "Not anything cold…make it hot…really hot."  Better safe than sorry.

The waiter scrambled away.  Ranma continued to watch Akane.  Even after going so long without seeing her, he felt that familiar tug that drew him to her since that first day.  Somehow, just seeing her like this, he felt complete again.  He was very tempted to get closer to her, to hear her voice, to talk to her.  As if such seemingly simple acts could help him move on, to gain…what was it called again?  Oh yeah.  Closure.

_And she's happy now  
I'm goin' home  
Another day  
Another cruel reminder_

Ranma watched as the guy put his arm around Akane.  Jealousy and anger instantly flared.  Who did that guy think he was?  He was halfway out of his chair before he stopped himself.  His insides ached as he remembered that he had given up any rights he had a long time ago.  

He steeled himself.  I just need to make sure she's happy.  If she's happy, then I'll go.  I won't follow her, won't talk to her, won't think about her.  If she's happy, then I'll just get up and walk away.  Oh Akane, please be sad…I need you to be sad.

His universe shattered when Akane looked up at the guy next to her, a smile on her lips, and laughter in her eyes.  Jaw clenched, he signaled the waiter over.  "The bill please.  Oh, and I'll take care of the bill for that table over there too."

_Never a day goes by  
Without something  
Stopping me hard in my tracks  
I could be happy  
And I'll never even know it  
Till never a day comes back_

Ranma sat on a park bench, his head in his hands.  Well, that's it.  It's definitely over now.  I'll just pick up and move on.  Maybe I'll head back home for a little bit.  See mom.  Nah…too many memories of…I mean, it's way too far out of the way.  So…where to next?  Where did I put that stupid map?

He dug around in his knapsack for a little bit before triumphantly brandishing what he thought was a map.  He looked down at it and groaned.  It wasn't a map, but a picture.  The picture Nabiki had taken of him and Akane that snowy day so long ago.  He stared at it for a long moment and was about to shove it back into his bag when the wind whipped it out of his hands.

_Could be a song on the radio  
Could be that feeling from long ago  
Could be that accidental photo I find  
When I'm looking for something else  
But I found you_

Akane decided to cut through the park on the way to the Hinata Café.  She was a little early, but that only meant she could chat with Mutsumi for a little bit.  For all her ditziness, Mutsumi had a tendency to be lightheartedly insightful.  

A gentle breeze rolled through the park, carrying the faint strains of someone's radio to Akane's ears.  The funny feeling was back again, this time squeezing harder on her heart.  She glanced up to see a piece of paper fluttering just out of her reach.  She jumped up to reach it the same time someone else did.  The owner of the unidentified body crashed into her, then tightened his arms and shifted so that he took the brunt of the fall.

More than a little dazed, Akane glanced down at the paper…no wait, it was a picture, she was holding in her hands.  She was surprised to see her own face smiling back at her.  But it wasn't just her in the picture…there was someone else.  She turned around to face the person who held her tight despite the fact that they were now safe on the ground.

"Ranma?"

_Never a day goes by  
Without something  
Stopping me hard in my tracks  
I could be happy  
And I'll never even know it  
Till never a day comes back_

Ranma swallowed.  He had known it was her when he leapt into the air to snatch the picture.  He had known since he saw her from across the park.  He had known and he still couldn't stop himself from racing toward her, from grabbing her in the air, from cushioning her fall.  Even now he couldn't let go, couldn't help himself from burying his face in her hair.  

He felt her turn in his arms and reluctantly loosened his hold.  He heard her say his name, but couldn't bring himself to respond.  

"Ranma…" she said again.  "How…" she couldn't continue.  The funny feeling was squeezing her throat, her lungs; she couldn't speak, let alone breathe.

Ranma braced himself.  Although she didn't say anything, the many ways she could end that sentence roared through his head.  How could you do this to me?  How could you grab me like that?  How could you even think that we could just pick up where we left off?  How could you think I could love an idiot like you?  

Go ahead, he thought defiantly.  Hit me, punch me, hurt me for finding you when you didn't want me to.  I don't care.  It was worth it to see you again, to hold you again…it was worth anything.

Akane tried again.  She had finally placed the funny feeling that paralyzed her.  It was relief.  It was joy.  It was love.  It was knowing that she was right, that her letters had worked in their own way, that he was with her again…this time to stay.  

It was easy now, to smile, even if it was filled with tears.  "How long do you think we can lay here like this?"

Ranma smiled back shakily.  He leaned forward so that his forehead touched hers.  "How long do you want to?"

_Never a day goes by  
Without something  
Stopping me hard in my tracks  
I could be happy  
And I'll never even know it  
Till never a day comes back_


End file.
